Video Vault

Tubes

Gerresheimer announced that it will sell its glass tubing business to Corning Incorporated. The sale amounts to $219 million, according to the firm McDermott Will & Emery, which advised Gerresheimer in the sale.

Welcome to a new issue of Tube News—the official publication of the Tube Council! It continues to be an exciting time for the tube industry as packagers realize how important tubes are to the growth of their products—particularly those in the cosmetic, personal care, pharmaceutical, household and industrial, and food industries. A tube not only holds and protects the product, but in many respects it can be the final “selling point” for attracting consumers—consumers love the aesthetics, convenience, and portability of tubes.

At Interphex 2014, Clariant Healthcare Packaging showcased a new tube resulting from a collaboration with Pumpart System called Tubairless. Developed to protect sensitive pharmaceutical cream-based formulas, the tube features airless dispensing capabilities.

Laminated tube technology has evolved, and some of the concerns from the past around the appearance of the seam and decoration have been eliminated, reports Wendi Caraballo, marketing manager for Essel Propack. The company can offer Inviseam tubes with 360° decorations that offer seamless looks to their tubes, she says.

In an effort to simplify package development, Albéa is now producing its integrated airless Tube + Pump in North America. The company’s neutral Nea dispensing pump is produced at its molding plant in Thomaston, CT, then assembled and sent to Reynosa, Mexico, for applying the pump to the tube. “We have invested in duplicate molds, the same as those we use in our European operations,” says Doug Jackson, Albéa’s market manager, North America.

Tube makers are employing metallic effects in a variety of ways to help brands “pop.”

An ongoing trend in cosmetic and personal care packaging continues to influence tubes—metallic effects. Several product launches in tubes over the last year have relied on metallic highlights and sheens to shine from the shelves. “Metallic pops,” Bruno Lebeault, marketing director, North America, for Viva Healthcare Packaging, told Tube News. “It reflects, it shines. You notice it first.”

Tubes made from polypropylene and foil withstand high temperatures, meeting a medical device manufacturer’s requirements for terminal sterilization.

Seeking to provide a large amount of wound care gel for burn surgery, B. Braun Medical AG (Germany) needed larger containers for its Prontosan Wound Gel in addition to the already available 30-g plastic ampoules. The sterile, highly viscous gel is now available in 250-g tubes, thanks to Neopac (www.neopac.com).

A new linear system fills up to 100 tubes per minute in a reduced footprint.

The IMA Group has developed a compact new tube filler designed for users with limited space. The CS Linear from CO.MA.DI.S. is a single-nozzle tube filling machine based on a linear track, which is different from the company’s traditional single-nozzle units (C1090-C1110) that are equipped with a turntable. Instead, the CS Linear follows the design approach taken with another recent release from the company, the twin-nozzle CD Linear. According to IMA, all functions are visible, easily controlled, and managed.